


The Mystery of Sleep

by Hokuto



Category: Marathon (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Nonnies Made Me Do It, Prompt Fic, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 10:45:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17621006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hokuto/pseuds/Hokuto
Summary: After a long day, the security office just wants to sleep.  And so does F'tha.





	The Mystery of Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> "Bedsharing" came up as a prompt and I already did it with Durandal and the security officer, so I decided to branch out a bit. ... but not that much because I guess I love this trope!

It had been one long, long-ass day taking out an entire Pfhor research complex, and the planet's atmosphere was still messing with teleport signals; the security officer ending up in engineering instead of his room was just the kind of shit he'd come to expect. Between the atmospheric interference and not finding the information he'd wanted in the Pfhor's computers, Durandal was so cranky that the security officer didn't even bother asking for a lift. Easier to just walk back up to his usual section of the _Rozinante_ , no matter how exhausted he was.

The exhaustion probably explained how he wound up taking a wrong turn into the dark and empty Pfhor trooper quarters. It didn't explain why F'tha was on one of the hard, flat beds - not even floating over it like S'pht usually did, but actually resting on it - with their chest gem completely dimmed.

He blinked a couple time just to make sure he wasn't seeing things, then said, "Uh, F'tha? You okay in here?"

"Yes," F'tha said, without moving.

"Okay. Um - doing anything in particular?"

"I have long experienced curiosity about human 'sleep.' Today we have all fought in difficult battle, and I experienced desire to attempt 'sleep.'"

"Oh." The security officer wasn't sure if that made sense because he was tired or didn't make sense for the same reason, but there was something kind of sweet about it. Probably. He knew the S'pht had to rest and recharge somehow, he'd just always assumed that it involved actually recharging, possibly with plugs. "How's that working out so far?"

"I experience frustration," F'tha said. "Durandal has shared with me many human files, including those of your own 'sleep' -"

Of course. You could always count on Durandal to make it creepy.

"- but I am unable to replicate the condition. I am alert and functional as usual."

It was definitely the exhaustion talking, but the security officer found himself saying, "All right, your first mistake was asking Durandal. You think he ever sleeps? If he did, maybe he'd stop waking me up in the middle of the damn night. Tell you what, you help me figure out how to get back to my room from here and we'll work on it together. Sound like a plan?"

F'tha continued to rest on the Pfhor bed for a couple of seconds; then they floated up, their chest-gem brightening in the gloom, and said, "I agree."

By the time they'd hiked the rest of the way to his rooms, all the security officer had the energy left to do was kick off his boots and lay his guns and helmet on the crate table before collapsing onto the bed on top of the blanket. A lecture on sleep was the last thing he wanted to struggle through, but hell, he'd made a deal. He patted the bed beside him and said, "So, you had the right idea with being on the bed. Let's start with that again and go from there."

F'tha hovered at the bed's edge uncertainly. "There are many rules about 'sleep.' Will attempting 'sleep' together be proper?"

Random attacks of S'pht propriety were cuter when they weren't keeping him from well-deserved slumber. "I'm the only human on this ship, so yeah. If I say it's fine, it's fine, now come on." He could barely keep his eyes open; this was going to be a hell of a short lesson. Once F'tha had settled down next to him - and damn, it was bizarre to see them not floating - he said, "Next step is - uh, guess you can't really close your eyes, but turn off your sensors, maybe?"

"Turn them off?"

It was hard to read tone from a S'pht's voice, but F'tha sounded horrified, and too late the security officer realized how bad that had to sound to a being who had a) never slept before, b) had all of their sensors controlled by the Pfhor while a slave, and c) spent all day on high alert during the fighting. "I mean - not completely! Humans don't do that, either. You just - you have to cut out some of the distractions, or there's no way you'll fall asleep. It'll be okay. I sleep here all the time, so you know it's safe, right?" If Durandal didn't decide to be a dick and mess with them, which was a galaxy-sized "if," but hopefully he was still preoccupied with atomizing the research facility or jumping them out of the system. "I'm going to be doing the same thing. See?"

He closed his eyes and instantly regretted it. God, he just wanted to not wake up for a couple of days. But for F'tha's sake, he had to stay up for at least a couple more minutes. Just a little longer...

"I have closed visual connections," F'tha announced. "What shall I do now?"

"Now you gotta relax," the security officer mumbled around a yawn. Maybe a little nap. Something to take the edge off before he took care of his guns and armor and could really sleep. "Don't think about stuff. Let it go. Breathe -" Wait, did the S'pht breathe? No, probably not. "I mean - whatever you do when you're chilling out. Don't think... just..."

* * *

F'tha obediently listened, but the security officer made only breathing noises without speaking. When this continued for over four human minutes, which was much longer than the security officer usually took to reply to a question or finish speaking, F'tha considered the information they had received from Durandal about sleep. Then they reached up and ran their fingers along the edges of their shell to loosen their robes and spread the cloth gently over the security officer and themself both.

They had routed communal connections to the lowest possible level of attention to prevent interruption, as well, and yet a particular link activated.

_How sweet_ , Durandal said. _Are you really finding this instructive or just enjoying yourself?_

F'tha would have preferred to ignore Durandal to concentrate on the attempt to sleep, but they could sense Durandal's undivertable attention. There would be no peace without answers; at least Durandal had not used vocal communication and disturbed the security officer. _I am learning. And I will learn more easily without distraction._

_Of course. I'm sure there's so much you can learn from all that physical intimacy._

An exaggeration unworthy of response. The security officer had turned over in their sleep so that one of their thick and fleshy arms rested against F'tha's shell, but according to the files, that was within the normal parameters of human sleep behavior, neither a concern nor a matter for Durandal to interfere. Nor a discomfort to F'tha. _We have both worked hard for you this day. Please allow us to rest._

_Absolutely. Try not to let them get too bruised if they keep lying so close to you; they're more useful when they're not badly injured and complaining, you know? Humans generally try to keep hard metal things out of their sleeping places._

The connection closed before F'tha could rebuke Durandal for the unnecessary comment. As F'tha should have expected. They allowed a brief hum of irritation to run through them and then suppressed the sensation as the security officer stirred. Troubled emotions would not help either of them.

F'tha placed one hand on the security officer's arm, which quieted their restlessness, and lay without further motion, in search of the mysterious sleep.


End file.
